Is Consciousness Merely Neurological?

It holds the power to think, to feel, to speak, to dream, and to act. Discover the complexity and capabilities of the human brain as the Friday Center hosts a series about the most unique organ in the animal kingdom.

What is consciousness? Both in philosophy and in psychology, “the problem of consciousness” is by nature as special as it is difficult to solve. The past fifteen years have seen an explosion of work on consciousness by philosophers, psychologists, and neuroscientists. Cognitive scientists speak of “neural correlates of consciousness.” But if we look at some of the research, we are struck by an astonishing diversity of topics that have gone under the heading of “consciousness.” This presentation will isolate the fascinating issues that have made some philosophers insist that consciousness cannot simply be a matter of what happens in the brain.

William Lycan is William Rand Kenan, Jr. Professor of Philosophy. He specializes in philosophy of mind and philosophy of language. He is the author of seven books, including Consciousness (MIT, 1987) and Consciousness and Experience (MIT, 1996), and approximately 160 articles on assorted topics including ethics and aesthetics.